SALIDA, Colo. — Cars began filling the parking lot at Monarch Mountain before sunrise Thursday. Even though snow pack is only at 58% statewide, some skiers camped out overnight, eager to be the first to experience something riders here haven't seen in nearly half a century.
The ski area officially opened its long-awaited No Name Basin — nearly 400 acres of new terrain that pushes the resort's boundaries across the Continental Divide.
“This is monumental,” said Scott Pressly, Monarch’s director of mountain operations. “We haven’t had a giant terrain expansion with a new lift since the Panorama lift in 1980. That’s 46 years.”
Pressly said construction for the new terrain took two summers, culminating in Thursday's ribbon cutting. The expansion makes Monarch one of the few ski areas in North America that allows skiers to ride on both sides of the Continental Divide.
The idea to build No Name Basin has been floating around Monarch Mountain since 2011.
The new addition, served by a new lift, includes a mix of groomed runs, gladed tree skiing and advanced terrain features — built to disperse crowds and offer variety for intermediate to expert ability levels.
Founded in 1939, Monarch has built its reputation on being low-key, affordable and community-centered. There are no base-area condos, shopping villages or high-end restaurants — just an emphasis on skiing and riding with friends and family.
“We’ve really stayed true to our roots over all these years,” Pressly said.
Regulars like Kirk Crawford — known at Monarch Mountain as Captain Kirk — said the expansion won't change the small-town feel many cherish.
“It’s like one big happy family here of locals,” Crawford said. “Almost everybody knows everybody else on a first-name basis, from the parking lot to the patrol and everything in between.”
Frequent visitor Crispin Weeks said the culture is what keeps him coming back — and he hopes growth won't change that. “We’re a ski town, not a ski resort,” Weeks said. “Very friendly, laid back, just inviting.”
That authenticity remains a point of pride for Monarch’s leadership.
“This is who we are and what we want to do,” Pressly said.
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